Volume 57 - Spring 2024


 
 

King Charles III Prayer Books

A gift fit for the King
 

king charles prayer books

A Coronation gift from the Royal Warrant Holders Association Members to
His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla
to celebrate their Coronation in 2023.

 

Due to the dwindling supply of 1908 King Edward VII Prayer Books in the Chapel Royal St James, The Reverend Canon Paul Wright and Nick Farrow then Chair of the Royal Warrant Holders Association Members (RWHA) Charity Fund discussed replacing them with some 2023 His Majesty King Charles III books.

As 2023 is such a special year, this idea extended into producing, as a gift, a special version for each of Their Majesties The King and The Queen as a celebration of their Coronation.

Fundraising began in October 2022 to produce the two red Royal Coronation Versions and ten black Chapel Versions to be housed in an oak bookcase, made from Sandringham Oak. Any excess funds would be donated to Charities across the country via the RWHA Charity Fund.

Today the project is complete and the Prayer Books are a thing of beauty as is the Sandringham Oak bookcase for the Chapel Royal. There are also two individual hand engraved silver bookmarks to complete the two Royal versions.

The money raised from Royal Warrant holding companies was substantially over and above the cost of these prayer books, supplied at cost, so has enabled us donate much needed funds to at least 12 charities.

 

The Royal Warrant Holders Association Makers

Barnard & Westwood - Fine printers and bookbinders based in Central London. The go-to company for unique one-off projects and complicated specifications including the invitation and order of service for the Coronation at Westminster Abbey. Barnard & Westwood typeset all the wording and litho-printed the inside pages on Munken Paper's sustainable range.

J Hewit & Sons - Leather Manufacturers who specialise in sustainable leather production using a food by-product to produce vegetable tanned leather. Based in Scotland, they supplied the leather for all the covers free of charge.

Temple Bookbinders - A leading bookbinder in the UK, specialising in renovating ancient books and creating exemplary new books to 150-year standards including work for Windsor Archives/Library and priceless collections worldwide. They hand bound and embossed each of the Prayer Books and handmade the two complementary protective boxes.

Thomas Lyte Goldsmith & Silversmiths - Based in London, makers of objects d'art, and responsible for many of the world's greatest trophies, restorers of antiquities made from precious metals for The Royal Household and many other collections. They also designed and handcrafted The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Cross. Thomas Lyte designed, hand cut, polished and hand engraved two unique silver bookmarks for the Royal Prayer Books using Oak and Yew leaves as inspiration.

Zone Creations - Presentation Designers for many bluechip brands and The Royal Household. They have designed and created the illuminated bookcase to fit into the surroundings of The Chapel Royal using fallen oak donated by The Sandringham Estate. The bookcase is finished with beautiful laser engraving on either side.

king charles prayer books

 

king charles prayer books
The Reverend Canon Paul Wright LVO
Sub Dean HM Chapel Royal
inspecting the Black Prayer Books.
   
Jon Simpson
Serjeant of the Vestry and Head Verger
looking at the black Prayer Books.
king charles prayer books
 

Skin Deep - Volume 57 - Spring 2024

Download Skin Deep - Volume 57 in PDF Format